Tailpiece for stringed musical instruments



Aug. 1929. A. D. GROVER 1,724,278

TAILPIECE FOR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed April 6, 1925 Fig. l-

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62 ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 13, 1929.

UNITED STATES ALBERT D. GROVER, OF LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK.

TAILPIECE FOR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Application filed April 6,

My invention relates to improvements in tail pieces for stringed musical instruments, and has f r its principal object to provide a tail piece of the extension type which is made of a single piece of material with no moving parts.

This invention is a. further development of the invention disclosed in my Letters Patent No. 1,566,745 issued December 22, 1925.

Extension tail pieces of this character ordinarily include a cover member which is adjustable over the rough ends of the strings to protect the latter. The cover member in this connection is an extra piece, which in creases the cost of the finished article, and

which often becomes lost or mislaid when it is necessary to remove it to change a string. It is, therefore, another objectof the present invention to afford means for protecting the rough ends of the strings without the use of a cover piece. I accomplish this object by providing the extension of the tail piece with a plurality of grooves or slots which admit the rough ends of the strings, and afford ample protection therefor.

A further object of my invention is to produce a one piece tail piece having an integral extension portion provided with all of the advantages found in extension tail pieces of the more expensive makes, i. e. an extension overlying the head of the instrument and bearing upon the strings with'siniicient pressure to hold the bridge in position, thereby producing a full loud tune.

A still further object of my improved one piece tail piece is the provision of integral laterally projecting cars at the upright edges of the article to protect the string holding prongs disposed therebetween.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an inwardly projecting member adapted to engage under the straining hoop which serves to hold the tail piece in place, the member being capable of adjustment to accommodate different types of instruments.

Further objects of my invention is to provide a simple, cheap and effective extension tail piece having certain details of structure and advantages hereinafter more fully described in the specification and illustratively exemplified in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan View of an instrument showing my improved tail piece applied thereto; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section 1925. Serial NO. 21,024.

taken on lines 22 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a view of the rear end of the tail piece; Figure 4; 1s a transverse sectional view taken on lines H of F igure 1; Figure 5 is a plan view showing a modification of the string protecting means; Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on lines 6-6 of Figure 5; Figure '7 is an end view of the tail piece shown in Figure 6; and Figure 8 is a transverse sectional view taken on lines 88 of Figure 5.

Referring to the drawings, and particu larly to Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, 1O designates the head of an ordinary banjo, the rim 11 being provided with a groove 12 to receive a ring 13 over which the head is stretched and held by a straining hoop 14. An adjustable ring 15 is disposed over the straining hoop 1 1 and is secured to the instrument by means of the usual hooks (not shown).

My improved one piece extension tail piece is arranged on the rim l1 and ring 13 in the ordinary manner, all of which is old and requires no further explanation.

The tail piece proper is an angular n1emher and comprises an upright rectangularly shaped metal portion 16 having laterally projecting side cars 17 bent outwardly at right angles to the plane of the portion 16, and a series of string lugs 18 which are stamped from the metal and curved outwardly and downwardly between the cars 17 to receive the ends of the strings 19. It is to be noted that the lugs 18 do not project beyond the ends of the ears 17, a construction which enables the instrument to be placed upon a support without fear of bending the string lugs 18. The lower edge of the portion 16 is provided with a tab or lug 20, which is adapted to engage under the straining hoop 1 1, and which may be bent either upwardly or downwardly to accommodate different makes of instruments.

The extension portion or plate of the tail piece 21 is an integral part of the portion 16 and is bent substantially at right angles thereto and terminates at its free end in a plurality of T-shaped projections 22 having the cross portions thereof concaved to receive and bear upon the strings 19 with sufficient pressure to hold the bridge 23 in position. The extension piece 21 is flared slightly towards its free end to provide suitable support for the strings 19 and to enable them to be separated sufficiently to engage under the arms of the projections 22, as illustrated in Figure 1. In accordance with the present invention the extension 21 is provided with string-ways or grooves 24 which project from the corner of the tail piece to points substantially midway of the length of the extension. The grooves 2% are tapered toward the surface of the extension and incline away from one another at their inner ends, so as to accommodate the strings extending over the bridge 23 to the string lugs 18. It will be clear that when the strings are arranged in the grooves 24 the twisted ends will be protected by the sides of the grooves, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. In the finished tail piece the longitudinal edges of the extension 21 are bent downwardly at right angles to form flanges 25, which are disposed just short of contact with the surface of the head 10.

In the modified form of the invention, shown in Figures 5 to 8, inclusive, the e):- tension plate 21 is provided with a series of slots 26 in place or" the string-ways or grooves 2a of the form shown in Figure 1. The ends of strings 19 in this modification merely project through the slots 26 and are bent downwardly to engage over the string lugs 18. In order to make adjustment in :the connection under the straining hoop 14,

the lug 20, at the lower end of the plate 16, is bent inwardly at an angle and carries a screw 27 which engages the straining hoop 1 and firmly clamps the tail piece to the instrument.

Each groove in the present invention provides a space in which the portion of the string adjacent its attached end may be disposed, and further because of the tapered feature, the groove guides the string at a gentle inclination towards the free end of the arm. The latter feature does away entirely with a more or less sharp angle in the arm over which the string is usually guided, as shown by the notches in applicants prior invention, referred to heretofore. The deeper portion of the groove lends protection to the twisted end of the string and at the same time, leads it outwardly towards the face of the arm. Strings projecting from a sharp angle are constantly under great strain at this point when under tension, and are found to break more readily at the angle than at any other place.

I'Vhat I claim is:

1. In a tail piece for stringed musical instruments, an angular plate having one arm thereof provided with string gradually tapering grooves projecting from the angle to a point substantially midway the length of the said arm.

2. In a tail piece for stringed musical instruments, an angu plate having one arm thereof provided with gradually tapered string grooves projecting from the angle to a point substantially midway the length of the said arm the other arm provided with struclrup string prongs.

3. In a tail piece for stringed musical instruments, an angular plate having one arm thereof provided with tapered string grooves projecting from the angle and the other arm provided with spaced struclrup string prongs and a projection bent towards the instrument to engage a part thereof.

a. In a tail piece for stringed musical instruments, an angular plate having one arm projecting over the head of the instrument and provided with tapered. string grooves radiating from the angle, and the other arm provided with spaced string prongs structup from a midportion of the arm, said first mentioned arm being further provided with T-shaped projections at the free end there or to receive the strings after emerging from the grooves.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ALBERT D. GROVER. 

